Obamateurism of the Day

posted at 8:05 am on October 31, 2011 by Ed Morrissey

The bad news — Barack Obama’s latest claim on how many of his promises he has kept overstated the case, according to the Washington Times, which refers to Politifact’s “Obameter“:

President Obama has taken to claiming at recent political rallies and fundraisers that he has fulfilled 60 percent of his campaign promises from 2008, but the scorecard of an independent arbiter suggests that Mr. Obama is grading himself on a generous curve.

The watchdog organization PolitiFact.com, which evaluates the veracity of politicians’ statements, has tracked 506 specific promises Mr. Obamamade during his victorious presidential campaign three years ago and concluded that he has fulfilled 151, or 30 percent. Add the campaign pledges on which Mr. Obama has compromised to get part of what he wanted, and his “mission accomplished” tally still rises to just 39 percent.

Nonetheless, the president is telling supporters that he has worked three-fifths of the way through a checklist of initiatives that he keeps in his desk, making the pitch that he needs to be re-elected to finish what he started.

If you tally up those pledges that are still “in the works,” that comes to 37% alone. Add in those “broken” and “stalled,” and the total goes to 59%, so perhaps he’s just confusing the percentages, and he meant to tell supporters that he still has 60% left to do.

Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at obamaisms@edmorrissey.com with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.

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ObaMao has never found it difficult to make audacious claims by pulling statistics out of his butt. The fact that these claims go unchallenged by the supposed media watchdogs demonstrates yet again how much the “free press” has devolved into being PR stenographers for this administration and Dem talking points.

Nonetheless, the president is telling supporters that he has worked three-fifths of the way through a checklist of initiatives that he keeps in his desk,

making the pitch that he needs to be re-elected to finish what he started.

Photos of O’s desk are usually bare. Unless he has that checklist hidden under his filthy shoes, the claim is just further proof of his self-absorbed arrogance.

How many promises has he diametrically violated? Who is up for some lobbyists? E.O to close gitmo? nevermind. No new taxes on the middle class? Sure, so long as you don’t use medical devices, smoke or tan…

Increase U.S. Federal Tax on a pack of cigarettes from $0.39 to $1.01 per pack
Increase Federal tax on pipe tobacco from $1.0969 per pound to $2.83 per pound
Increase Federal tax on RYO tobacco from $1.0969 per pound to $24.78 per pound
Increase Federal tax on cigarette papers (50 or less) from $0.0122 to $0.0315
Federal tax on cigarette tubes (50 or less) = $0.0244 – New rate is $0.0630

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This is Mommy State 101…
-It was done to help…
-It takes from one group and gives to another…
-The elites will not feel it, and the poorest will be hurt the
most by it…
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-Help… It provides health insurance benefits to those who are not able to otherwise have access… by adding funding to (SCHIP) to provide health insurance to moderate-income families and illegal aliens.
And by raising the price it discourages the health threatening habit of smoking by reducing available funds… encouraging quitting.
-Redistribution… Even though this does not take from the rich and give to he poor… it is Big Government manipulation of the peoples money with the intent of redistribution…
-Rich v Poor Smokers… A pack a day rich guy will never even notice the change. But a pack a day lower wage mother of 4 will. If she does not quit it will drain more of her household budget to support her addiction… and it is the government doing the dealing and taking the money.
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-This is a regressive tax… I know many smokers who were going to quit when the tax went into effect… I can’t think of a single one who actually did quit. But I do know 3 people who started smoking during the last 2 years…???
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Barry stabbed the poor smokers of the country in the backs, many of whom support him… Worst of all… the children of those poor smokers who continue the habit will now have less food on the table… less pairs of new shoes… and less possibility of climbing out of poverty.
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We were majorly poor when I was a kid. I saw first hand welfare moms who would spend their last 20 cents on cigarettes when there was nothing at all in the fridge… I know this happens and the Obama Cigarette Tax makes it more likely to happen I’m sure.
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The full list of his smug and nasty lying back-stabbing of his peeps needs to be highlighted.
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BTW… I quit smoking 30 years ago…
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